|
|
The Warring Sides of the Martial Arts!
At the heart of the matter is the fact that the universe is a dichotomy. Dichotomy merely means that there are two sides to a thing. Right and left, up and down, and so on into the abstract realm of ideas.
Within the Martial Arts we find that crux of war versus peace. And, one finds all sorts of other dichotomies in studying the martial arts. Dichotomies which strike right to the soul and heart of the discipline, and even question our very right to exist.
The newbie signs up for a course of instruction and is, in a very short while, consumed by the dichotomy of freestyle v form. Does he elect to study techniques designed for the battlefield and death and destruction, or does he study the abstract perfectionism of forms?
Behind this simple dichotomy is the question of control v destruction. Does the student practice techniques of control, which are more difficult to work on the street, or does he practice techniques of destruction, which are quick and easy to learn, but perhaps not in keeping with the philosophy of the human soul. The answer will dictate which way he goes, and what kind of a human being he will end up being.
Then there is the always question of sport v art. Should he seek abstract in his study of the martial arts, and be willing to wait perhaps decades for its benefits, or should he seek athleticism and a strong body, and then put that body to risk in contest? Again, the very worth of his life and his direction as a human being are the real question here.
What we are really talking about is matter v mind. Is man an animal, or is the body the container for the spirit? Should he study to illuminate the spirit within, and that is the point of it all, or should he study in hopes of living a wild and exciting journey, and that is the point of it all?
Really, in answering these simple questions, man is deciding his fate. He is choosing to go up or down, and this in a murky fog with no sense of direction. For what is the worth of the human soul, and who is to tell us of the right and wrong inherent within ourselves...but ourselves?
Woe. Wrong or right, we choose. We are unique, and right or wrong, it is a choice to be valued.
|
 |
Please Rate: |
|
Rating: |
 Processing ... |
(Average: Not rated) |
| Views: | 21 | |
|
| More Articles from Fitness | | |
| Top Articles in Fitness | | |
|
